Holiday TV fare 2013: musicals, SpongeBob and more

Brace for TV treacle in the weeks ahead. In addition to the usual holiday fare, expect a live Broadway classic revival, animated specials and lots of cooking advice. Some of the standouts:

Nov. 23: Food Network does “Thanksgiving Live” with celeb chefs answering viewer cooking questions. CBS launches the season with “It’s a SpongeBob Christmas” with John Goodman as the voice of Santa Claus.

Nov. 28: NBC has the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” the 1973 animated special, is reprised on ABC.

Nov. 29: A night of music aimed at diverse demographics: “Garth Brooks Live from Las Vegas” on CBS goes head to head with “Barbra Streisand: Back to Brooklyn” on PBS. Also, Disney Channel kicks off its annual “Fa-la-la-lidays.”

Throughout December: All month, ABC Family blows out its schedule for 25 days of Christmas fare; Food Network keeps pace with a slew of holiday cooking/eating specials.

Dec. 4: NBC lights the tree in Rockefeller Center.

Dec. 5:“The Sound of Music Live!” will air on NBC with Carrie Underwood, Audra McDonald, Christian Borle and Stephen Moyer. It’s the original 1959 Broadway script, not the film version.